


Eternal Winter

by Valgus



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Future, Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2015-09-16
Packaged: 2018-04-21 02:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4811471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valgus/pseuds/Valgus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first snow was falling outside and Haru missed his Makoto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eternal Winter

If there were something Haru should be thankful about, that thing would be the fact that he could swim whenever he wanted, all year long.

Thanks to his decision to pursue career in swimming, Haru now had twenty-four hours access to an indoor swimming pool. Therefore, even though the first snow had now layered the view outside his apartment with white, Haru should never feel worry of getting his portion of swimming each day. 

He should.

But still, his stomach churned and Haru leaned on his bed. His legs were on the slightly cool floor, but his arms and chest was against his bed sheet, his half-lidded eyes staring into half-curtained window.

It was probably midnight when Haru realized he had been sitting with his phone on his hand for a very long time. He went home at about nine, when it was freezing cold but there was no snow yet. When he boarded on train after leaving the pool, Haru had checked his phone to find out that there was no new message from Makoto.

The train felt several degrees colder after that. Haru closed his eyes and tried to remember the first time when Makoto kissed him. Haru kissed back immediately. They never had the need to name their feelings nor relationship. Before Haru knew it, they were silently married; they would report at each other what they were up to, what did they eat, what would they do with their future, how would they afford a house to live together in less than ten years…

Lately, Makoto had been very busy. Haru couldn’t really blame him. His time in university was coming to an end and he was busy with looking for job and doing all the test that Haru never had to really worry about. His messages grew scarcer and scarcer, but he still send Haru the picture of grilled mackerel he had for lunch and photo of a tiny black kitten he met on his way to grocery store, so Haru could still smile silly at his phone.

When Haru was finally home, he just dropped his bag and jacket along the way. He reached the bed with only his phone. The snow had started falling. Haru closed his eyes.

Makoto’s smell had vanished completely from his bed. Haru tried to remember when was the last time they slept together in his bed, but his thought seemed to be cloudy out of sadness, or perhaps melancholy of enjoying first snow alone.

Tachibana Makoto’s existence was a default in Nanase Haruka’s life. Even when Makoto wasn’t around, Haru could practically feel his presence in his life. If Haru closed his eyes just like this, he could recall the way Makoto would hold his face with two hands before kissing him, whether it was on lips, forehead, or nose. He could recall the way Makoto’s hair fell when they were close, or how did it feel when Makoto’s eyelashes brushes against his cheeks as they kissed and held against each other.

The flat was cold.

Maybe Haru forgot to turn on the heater.

Maybe the source of the cold was the absence of Makoto’s message on his phone.

Haru opened his eyes and moved to at least turn on the heater. His legs felt sluggish and tired in a way that Haru knew not from swimming. He stopped by the side table next to heater. Just below the reading lamp, Haru found what looked like cat’s fur, but olive green in colour.

Haru stared at Makoto’s hair on his furniture, thinking about how long he had to wait until they could rent a place together. But Makoto was here, Haru thought, his fingers started to get tingly because of the warmth the heater (or his memory?) created. 

Makoto was there in Haru’s flat and even the sight of his hair made Haru smiled at his side table.

Haru sighed, but he felt warmer and overall better. He decided to brush his teeth and go to bed, because he definitely needed sleep.

Just when Haru was about to enter his bathroom, he heard knocks on the door. Whoever knocked must be trembling out of cold and Haru almost ran to the door.

Could it be…?

He opened his flat’s door to a red-faced Makoto, face half-buried in scarf while his hair and coat were painted with fresh snow.

Makoto sneezed.

Haru pouted. Stupid Makoto. Stupid Makoto probably finished his stupid essay as fast as he could stupidly did and then stupidly took a train just to get to his stupid boyfriend place. How stupid was that?

Makoto smiled. He had snot under his nose. 

Haru pulled Makoto inside and slammed the door closed behind them.

When Makoto opened his mouth to stutter, “H-Haru-chan… please don’t be angry—“

Haru tiptoed to hug Makoto’s shoulders and mutterd angrily, “Drop the ‘chan’, Makoto.” 

But then Haru sniffled to Makoto’s cold scarf and coat-covered shoulder.

Haru wanted to see Makoto so much. So, so very much. And suddenly, Makoto appeared so easily in his front door, like Christmas arrived three months too early, like an entire ocean coming to greet him when Haru just wanted a dip in a tub.

Makoto sneezed again, but he hugged Haru back with his snow-laced yet warm arms, kissing the top of Haru’s head.

“I miss you so badly too, Haru,” mumbled Makoto into Haru’s hair.

Haru pulled back to show his teary face and smile to Makoto, who in returned suddenly burst into tears.

God, Makoto looked so stupid when he cried because he missed his stupid boyfriend.

Even though Haru knew his eyes were watery himself, he took Makoto’s hand to the living room so Haru could wipe Makoto’s tears and snot with tissue. Makoto blew into tissue on Haru’s hand and they exchange stupid chuckle before embracing each other again; Haru’s arms on Makoto’s, their lips, cold and chapped, against each other.

Haru didn’t ask anything about why Makoto got here. That would be silly. Haru knew why. He made tea for both of them before they slid into bed. 

It was cold outside and they were wrapped against each other, in warmth and bliss. Haru closed his eyes against Makoto’s chest. His shirt was always too small for Makoto’s bigger torso and Haru glad to smell his smell mingled with Makoto’s. Haru couldn’t help but to wish for more snowy day, when it was cold outside and he could just cuddle with Makoto all night long while it was dark and everyone was away on dreamland.

Maybe one of the best parts of their relationship, Haru thought, was the fact that they didn’t even need direct contact to speak to each other’s heart. Just when Haru thought he couldn’t miss Makoto more, Makoto appeared on his front door, missing Haru just much as Haru missed him. Maybe Makoto heard him somehow and Makoto knew that he had to appear after Haru missing him even more because Haru saw his hair by the side table.

And Haru knew he would still miss Makoto even more, so much more, even though Makoto was on his bed, smiling on his sleep, his chest heaving up and down as he breathed slowly. And Haru knew he would still love Makoto even more, whether it was on hot day or cold night, whether they were in high school or whether they were out there in the world, whether they were eight or eighty, Haru would always love Makoto and his stupidly beautiful heart.

Haru looked at half-curtained window on his bedroom.

The snow had stopped, but Haru’s love for Makoto would never.

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of want to write how Haru's love is like a quiet winter, because when Haru loves Makoto, it's definitely not a blaring summer type of love.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
